Terms of Use

Effective date: July 27, 2025

Welcome to tedt.org (“Site”), a personal blog authored by Ted Tschopp (“we,” “us,” or “our”). By accessing or using the Site, you (“you,” “your,” or “User”) acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Use (“Terms”). If you do not agree, you must not access or use the Site.

1. Eligibility & User Representations

You confirm that:

• You are at least 13 years old (or the age of digital consent in your jurisdiction) and legally able to form a binding contract.
• You will use the Site only for lawful, personal, and non‑commercial purposes and in compliance with these Terms and all applicable laws.

2. Changes to the Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be posted on this page with a revised “Effective date.” Continued use of the Site after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

3. Privacy

Your use of the Site is also governed by our Privacy Policy (posted separately), which explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information.

4. Intellectual Property

4.1 Ownership

All original content on the Site—including text, graphics, audio, video, code, and compilations—is © 2004‑2025 Ted Tschopp, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

4.2 Limited License

You are granted a revocable, non‑exclusive, non‑transferable license to access and display Site content for personal, non‑commercial use. Any other use (e.g., republication, distribution, creation of derivative works, or commercial exploitation) requires prior written permission.

4.3 Trademarks

All trademarks, service marks, and logos referenced on the Site are property of their respective owners. Use of such marks is nominative and does not imply endorsement.

4.4 DMCA & Copyright Complaints

If you believe your copyrighted work has been infringed, please send a notice to copyright [at] tedt [dot] org containing:

1. Your physical or electronic signature;
2. Identification of the work claimed to be infringed;
3. Identification of the infringing material (URL);
4. Your contact information;
5. A statement of good‑faith belief that use is unauthorized;
6. A statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate and you are the copyright owner or authorized agent.

5. User Content

• “User Content” means comments or other material you voluntarily submit.
• You retain ownership of your User Content but grant us a perpetual, worldwide, royalty‑free, non‑exclusive license to store, display, publish, and distribute it on the Site.
• You warrant that your User Content is your own or that you have rights to submit it, and that it does not violate any law or the rights of any third party.
• We reserve the right (but have no obligation) to monitor, edit, or remove any User Content at our sole discretion.

6. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

1. Break the law.
2. Infringe intellectual‑property rights or privacy.
3. Harvest or scrape the Site—including for AI model training or data‑mining—beyond ordinary personal browsing.
4. Upload malware, spam, or malicious code.
5. Impersonate another person or misrepresent your affiliation.
6. Interfere with or disrupt the Site’s operation or security.
7. Attempt unauthorized access to any part of the Site or its underlying systems.

7. External Links

The Site may link to third‑party websites or services. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, their content, privacy policies, or practices. Visiting external sites is at your own risk.

8. Disclaimer of Professional Advice

The Site is personal opinion and commentary for informational purposes only. Nothing herein constitutes legal, financial, health, or other professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional for such matters.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Site and all content are provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied—including but not limited to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non‑infringement. We do not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted, secure, or error‑free.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Ted Tschopp shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages (including lost profits, data loss, or goodwill) arising out of or related to your use of—or inability to use—the Site, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Our total liability shall not exceed USD 100 or the amount you paid us (if any) in the past twelve months, whichever is less.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Ted Tschopp from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or in any way connected with:

• Your access to or use of the Site;
• Your violation of these Terms;
• Your infringement of any third‑party rights.

12. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Site at any time, with or without notice, for any violation of these Terms or for any reason at our sole discretion. All provisions that by their nature should survive termination shall do so (e.g., intellectual‑property, disclaimers, limitation of liability).

13. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, USA, without regard to conflict‑of‑law principles. Any dispute arising under these Terms shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California, and you consent to personal jurisdiction and venue therein.

Optional Informal Resolution. Before filing suit, you agree to contact us to attempt good‑faith informal resolution for 30 days.

14. International Use

We make no representation that the Site is appropriate or available in all locations. Accessing the Site from territories where its content is illegal is prohibited. You are responsible for compliance with local laws.

15. Severability & Entire Agreement

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full effect. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and us concerning the Site and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications.

16. Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be deemed a waiver of such right or provision.

17. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms? Email legal [at] tedt [dot] org or use the contact form linked in the Site’s footer.

Thank you for visiting tedt.org and respecting the policies that safeguard this creative space.